HP EliteBook 8530w Laptop Review
The HP EliteBook 8530w is the latest 15.4″ workstation featuring the latest Intel processors and Nvidia Quadro FX 770M wrapped inside an impressively durable shell. The Elitebook 8530w and 8530p (non-workstation version) replace the 8510w and 8510p, respectively. Is it time for an upgrade at your office? Take a look and see what we have to say about this powerful workhorse!
The 8530w starts out at $1,499 but more powerful configurations top out at $3,549.
Our pre-production EliteBook 8530w came with the Intel T9400 processor, clocking in at 2.53GHz, and jammed packed with 6MB of cache. For graphics, HP included an Nvidia Quadro 770M series video card with 512MB of GDDR3 memory. A fast 160GB 7200 RPM hard drive was also included, which helped applications load without much lag. This workstation consistently exceeded our expectations, thanks in large part to the workstation-class GPU. Serious users will find this machine packs plenty of power for even the most demanding tasks, and "normal" users who are only concerned with working in Microsoft Office and encoding the occassional video for work will have more power than they know what to do with it.
In a day and age when more and more notebooks are offering hybrid graphics (a combination of both integrated and dedicated graphics that allow you to reduce power consumption when you don't need extreme graphics performance) we would have liked to see a hybrid graphics solution inside the Elitebook 8530w. As it stands, this isn't a deal killer because most people interested in this notebook are concerned about performance ... not getting every possible minute of battery life.
CEOs and businessmen often go to meetings and they often lug around their trustworthy partner: the laptop. Due to this, laptops are subject to constant wear and tear by being transported frequently. Thus, Hewlett-Packard stresses the importance of durability.
While the HP Elitebook 8530w battery has all the major features of most business laptops, it also is capable of being transported without any worry of abuse. Hewlett-Packard designed its proprietary technology in the HP Elitebook 8530w, which is called the “Duracase.” To guarantee durability, the Elitebook 8530w is made with a magnesium alloy that is stronger than conventional plastic by 18 times.
Specifications:
Finally, we recorded the following external temperatures using an IR thermometer after running two consecutive PCMark05 benchmarks. This should serve as an indicator of how hot the notebook will get after about 30 minutes of serious use. All temperatures are listed in degrees Fahrenheit. While the 8530w isn't the coldest notebook we've reviewed, it does stay amazing cool considering the powerful processor and graphics.
The 8530w comes equipped with a 15.4" anti-glare widescreen with the highest resolution possible for a screen of this size. At 1920 x 1200 pixels, this high-definition display is capable of displaying the finest details in workstation applications like Maya, CAD, 3dsMax, and more. Or course, you can also enjoy this extra resolution for 1080p movies when you use the BluRay optical drive.
When viewing the screen from straight ahead, colors are rich and the contrast is excellent. High-definition movies (compliments of the BluRay drive) are absolutely stunning. Horizontal viewing angles are almost as impressive, and the vertical viewing angle from above is likewise impressive. The only time the screen starts to disappoint is when you view it from below ... but the overwhelming majority of users will never view the screen in this way.
Pros:
The HP Elitebook 8530w is a powerful and durable workstation in the guise of a laptop. It is full-featured and its tough shell means all your important files and information are kept from harm’s way. It even has a suite of security tools available to provide business-level protection. Another plus is the host of powerful video card options allowing for a great gaming and high definition media experience.
Cons:
This laptop boasts to have stability, durability, and excellent features. A laptop of this stature could only come with a pricey tag. This model is also quite heavy (agbout 2.86 kg) for a mobile PC. Some users noted that the internal speaker leaves much to be desired and the touchpad area is small.
The HP EliteBook 8530w is one of the most impressive workstation-class 15.4″ notebooks we’ve seen. Whether you’re a small business owner looking for a durable notebook with plenty of performance or a large business looking to outfit a large staff of creative professionals with mobile workstations, the HP 8530w battery makes a smart choice. However, there’s no such thing as a perfect notebook and our pre-production unit of the 8530w was not without its flaws.
While there are a few things we can criticize about the 8530w, it’s hard to be too critical of a pre-production unit because there is always a “possibility” that a minor issue (such as touchpad buttons or cooling fan volume) could be resolved with the final versions that ship to customers. Still, based on the review unit we have on hand we feel our relatively minor criticism is warranted.
Bottom line, there are many reasons why professionals need to buy the HP EliteBook 8530w and very few reasons not to.
The 8530w starts out at $1,499 but more powerful configurations top out at $3,549.
Our pre-production EliteBook 8530w came with the Intel T9400 processor, clocking in at 2.53GHz, and jammed packed with 6MB of cache. For graphics, HP included an Nvidia Quadro 770M series video card with 512MB of GDDR3 memory. A fast 160GB 7200 RPM hard drive was also included, which helped applications load without much lag. This workstation consistently exceeded our expectations, thanks in large part to the workstation-class GPU. Serious users will find this machine packs plenty of power for even the most demanding tasks, and "normal" users who are only concerned with working in Microsoft Office and encoding the occassional video for work will have more power than they know what to do with it.
In a day and age when more and more notebooks are offering hybrid graphics (a combination of both integrated and dedicated graphics that allow you to reduce power consumption when you don't need extreme graphics performance) we would have liked to see a hybrid graphics solution inside the Elitebook 8530w. As it stands, this isn't a deal killer because most people interested in this notebook are concerned about performance ... not getting every possible minute of battery life.
CEOs and businessmen often go to meetings and they often lug around their trustworthy partner: the laptop. Due to this, laptops are subject to constant wear and tear by being transported frequently. Thus, Hewlett-Packard stresses the importance of durability.
While the HP Elitebook 8530w battery has all the major features of most business laptops, it also is capable of being transported without any worry of abuse. Hewlett-Packard designed its proprietary technology in the HP Elitebook 8530w, which is called the “Duracase.” To guarantee durability, the Elitebook 8530w is made with a magnesium alloy that is stronger than conventional plastic by 18 times.
Specifications:
- Intel Core 2 Duo T9400 Processor (2.53GHz, 6MB L2 cache, 1066MHz FSB)
- Microsoft Genuine Windows Vista Business
- 15.4-inch WUXGA+ anti-glare (1920 x 1200)
- 160GB 7200RPM Toshiba 2.5" HDD
- 512MB NVIDIA Quadro FX 770M Workstation GPU
- 4GB DDR2 800MHz RAM (2 x 2GB Configuration)
- Blu-Ray and DVD+/-RW Optical Drive
- WiFi, Ethernet, Modem, and Bluetooth Connectivity
- 8-Cell 73WHr Battery
- 3-Year on-site Warranty
- Dimensions: 1.1" x 14.0" x 10.4"
- Weight: 6.5lbs without power adapter, 8lbs with power adapter
Finally, we recorded the following external temperatures using an IR thermometer after running two consecutive PCMark05 benchmarks. This should serve as an indicator of how hot the notebook will get after about 30 minutes of serious use. All temperatures are listed in degrees Fahrenheit. While the 8530w isn't the coldest notebook we've reviewed, it does stay amazing cool considering the powerful processor and graphics.
The 8530w comes equipped with a 15.4" anti-glare widescreen with the highest resolution possible for a screen of this size. At 1920 x 1200 pixels, this high-definition display is capable of displaying the finest details in workstation applications like Maya, CAD, 3dsMax, and more. Or course, you can also enjoy this extra resolution for 1080p movies when you use the BluRay optical drive.
When viewing the screen from straight ahead, colors are rich and the contrast is excellent. High-definition movies (compliments of the BluRay drive) are absolutely stunning. Horizontal viewing angles are almost as impressive, and the vertical viewing angle from above is likewise impressive. The only time the screen starts to disappoint is when you view it from below ... but the overwhelming majority of users will never view the screen in this way.
Pros:
The HP Elitebook 8530w is a powerful and durable workstation in the guise of a laptop. It is full-featured and its tough shell means all your important files and information are kept from harm’s way. It even has a suite of security tools available to provide business-level protection. Another plus is the host of powerful video card options allowing for a great gaming and high definition media experience.
Cons:
This laptop boasts to have stability, durability, and excellent features. A laptop of this stature could only come with a pricey tag. This model is also quite heavy (agbout 2.86 kg) for a mobile PC. Some users noted that the internal speaker leaves much to be desired and the touchpad area is small.
The HP EliteBook 8530w is one of the most impressive workstation-class 15.4″ notebooks we’ve seen. Whether you’re a small business owner looking for a durable notebook with plenty of performance or a large business looking to outfit a large staff of creative professionals with mobile workstations, the HP 8530w battery makes a smart choice. However, there’s no such thing as a perfect notebook and our pre-production unit of the 8530w was not without its flaws.
While there are a few things we can criticize about the 8530w, it’s hard to be too critical of a pre-production unit because there is always a “possibility” that a minor issue (such as touchpad buttons or cooling fan volume) could be resolved with the final versions that ship to customers. Still, based on the review unit we have on hand we feel our relatively minor criticism is warranted.
Bottom line, there are many reasons why professionals need to buy the HP EliteBook 8530w and very few reasons not to.
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